JULY CLERGY NEWSLETTER
July 20, 2017
Clergy Reflection

By the Rev. Lee Ann Tolzmann
Canon for Mission Leadership

It has now been two years since I moved from parish ministry into the role of Canon for Mission Leader ship. The rate of change in Transition work seems even faster than in the wider Church,     and I find myself constantly shifting how we do things in order to keep up.  It's not  news to anyone that the financial resources of parishes are decreasing.  One result is that now more than half of ECCT's parishes (54%) have only part-time clergy, and we expect this number to  continue to increase. And, of course, there has never been a large supply of priests who desire pa rt-time work, so our part-time positions are often open for several  months. Priests who retire are less willing to take an "every Sunday" job, even if only for a year at a time, so our supply of Missional Priests (less than half time, with a year-to-year commitment) is small compared to the demand.  

And - this one may surprise you - the candidate pools for full-time positions are also s hrinking. In my two years, we have never had more than 20 applications for any rector position. For most postings, ten applications is good number, and candidates drop out of every search as the process unfolds to the point where it's often hard to get three candidates for a Vestry to interview. I get emails almost weekly from colleagues around the country seeking candidates for full-time jobs. Many are from dioceses where full-time work is scarce, but I also hear regularly from the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Clergy are less mobile for a number of reasons, including the fact that 14% of TEC clergy are married to each other. TWO good calls are tough to come up with!
 
If you are in a part-time parish or one that is moving in that direction, please work now to give them the gift of collaborating with surrounding parishes. You can begin with something as simple as a potluck or picnic together. Parishes are going to have to share clergy, and if they know with whom they might be doing it, things can happen faster and easier for all.
 
I know it can be frustrating that we are always changing the way we do things. I ask your patience and your prayers as I, along with all of you, try to keep up with whatever it is that God is doing in God's Church!
Clergy Day September 5 at Camp Washington

"Clergy Models for the 21st Century:
Flexibility, Consistency, Simplicity" 

This year's Fall Clergy Day will give you the opportunity ask questions and engage in conversation with the bishops and clergy colleagues about important issues related to changes in the Church. Presentations for the day include:
  • Commission on Ministry Update:  The Rev. Molly F. James, Dean of Formation & the Rev. Marrisa S. Rohrbach, Chair, Commission on Ministry
  • Transitions Pathways: The Rev. Lee Ann Tolzmann, Canon for Mission Leadership
  • Revisions to the Church Pension Fund Clergy Pension Plan: The Rev. Laura V. Queen, Assistant Vice President of Pastoral Care in the Education & Wellness department at CPG.  "The revisions, which are expected to take effect in January 2018, maintain the overall value of benefits provided today and offer greater flexibility, consistency, and simplicity. The new Clergy Pension Plan is responsive to the changing needs of the Church, is equitable and balanced in its delivery of benefits to all participants, and is easier for participants to understand and for the Church Pension Group to administer.
Click  here to register.

Clergy Day will be held at the ECCT Camp and  C onferen ce Center Camp Wa shington in Morris, CT. Overnight accommoda tions are available;  email Diane Atwood   or call at  860-567-9623. 


Upcoming Events
 
Aug. 2: Deacons' Council meeting and book discussion, Trinity Church, Seymour, more info and registration here.

Aug. 10: Women Clergy Breakfast and book discussion, St. Andrew's. Meriden, more info and registration here.

Sept. 28: Celebration of New Ministry for the Rev. William Burt, St. John's Church, North Haven.
 
Sept. 5: Clergy Day, at Camp Washington, Morris CT. "Clergy Models for the 21st Century: Flexibility, Consistency, Simplicity". Three presentations: update from the Commission on Ministry; [clergy] transition pathways; and revisions to CPG clergy pension plan. Overnight accommodations available . More info and registration available here.

Sept. 7: Recently Ordained Clergy program. A time of fellowship and formation for newly ordained clergy. Participants have the opportunity to share experiences and gain feedback through monthly check-ins and sharing of critical incidents. More info available here.

Sept. 21: Fresh Start Program. Monthly meetings begin again for this diocesan-led program for clergy in new cures, including both clergy new to the diocese and diocesan clergy. It provides clergy with tools for transition into a "new ministry," in addition to strengthening relationships among participants and their connection to the diocese. More info is available here.

Sept. 30: Liturgy Symposium at Christ Church Cathedral . The morning plenary session will be offered by the Rev. Dr. Patrick Malloy, noted scholar and liturgist, currently serving at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Following lunch, workshops will be offered on: bulletins, customaries, being a Master of Ceremonies, rubrics, preaching, training, and Taize worship. Hosted by the Commission on Ministry and open to lay and ordained leaders in ECCT. More information and registration is available here.

Oct. 5: Recently Ordained Clergy program.   A time of fellowship and formation for newly ordained clergy. Participants have the opportunity to share experiences and gain feedback through monthly check-ins and sharing of critical incidents. More info available here.

Oct. 7: Ann M. Perrott will be ordained to the Priesthood on Saturday, October 7, 10:00 a.m. at Christ Church, Norwich.

Oct 10-12: Clergy Retreat: "Spiritual resilience in a time of climate crisis."J oin your colleagues at our annual Clergy Retreat from  Tuesday, October 10 to Thursday, October 12 , at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford. Our retreat leader is the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, the Missioner for Creation Care from the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. 

Nov. 17-18: Annual ECCT Convention, Hyatt Regency, Greenwich, CT. More info and registration here.
Annual Convention Reminder

The 233rd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut will take place on on Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Connecticut. For everything you need to know about it, visit the  Convention page.

 

All clergy are expected to attend and must write to the bishop diocesan for authorization to be excused.

 

All clergy, delegates, alternates, and others attending convention MUST register. Online registration is $85/pp until Nov. 14. After that, on-site registration is $100/pp. 

 

Hotel registration is separate. 

 

The deadline for nominations and for resolutions is October 6.

 

Convention eNews will provide regular updates, information about food and lodging, links to material, reminders, resources, and reports. Sign up here.
Clergy in Transition
 
Please spread the word! The office of the Canon for Mission Leadership is now accepting applications (Letter of interest, resume and OTM profile) for the following parishes. All are listed on the OTM website and all have transition information on their own websites:
 
          St. Peter's, South Windsor (85%-time rector)
          Grace, Old Saybrook (full-time rector)
          St. Luke's, South Glastonbury (half-time rector)
 
Also: Trinity, Torrington (half-time) and Trinity, Milton (quarter-time) are willing to share a priest. If you know anyone who might be interested in this ¾-time possibility, please contact the Canon for Mission Leadership.
 
Clergy in Transition
 
The Rev. Patricia Coller will retire from her position as Missional Priest at Christ Church, East Norwalk, effective September 1.
 
The Rev. Mark Santucci is now half-time Interim Priest in Charge at St. David's, Gales Ferry.
 
The Rev. Terry Elsberry, from the Diocese of New York,will begin a new ministry as half-time Associate Priest at Christ Church, Greenwich, on September 5.
 
 
Parishes in Transition
 
Christ Church, Stratford.................................Interim in Place: Scott Lee
Christ Church, Watertown..................................Seeking Missional Priest
Epiphany Church, Durham......................................Using Supply Priests
Grace Church, Old Saybrook.......................................Receiving Names
Grace Church, Yantic.......................................Seeking Missional Priest
Grace and St. Peter's Church, Hamden..................Seeking Half-time PIC
Holy Trinity, Middletown.........................Interim in place: Dana Campbell
Immanuel Church, Derby..................................Seeking Missional Priest
St. Andrew's, Marble Dale.................................Seeking Missional Priest
St. David's, Gale's Ferry...........................Interim in place: Mark Santucci
St. Gabriel's, East Berlin...................................Seeking Missional Priest
St. John's, East Windsor......................................Seeking Half-time PIC
St. John's, New Haven..........................................Using Supply Priests
St. Luke's, South Glastonbury.....................................Receiving Names
St. Martin's, Hartford........................................Seeking Missional Priest
St. Matthew's, Wilton...................................Interim in Place: Alon White
St. Paul's, Fairfield.............................................Prepping for Interviews
St. Paul's, Woodbury..............................................Interviewing Interim
St. Peter's, Hebron...........................................Interviewing ¾ time PIC
St. Peter's, South Windsor..........................................Receiving Names
Trinity Church, Milton.......................................Seeking Missional Priest
Trinity Church, Seymour...............................Interim in place: Steve Ling
Trinity Church, Tariffville.............................Interim in place: Ajung Sojwal
Trinity Church, Torrington......................................Seeking half-time PIC
Trinity Church, Trumbull..............................Interim in place: Paul Carling
Trinity Church, Wethersfield...............................Seeking Missional Priest
 
From Lee Ann Tolzmann, Canon for Mission Leadership

The Transition Ministries Conference is a regional meeting of diocesan transition ministers from about 40 dioceses, mostly in the northeastern quadrant of the US, specifically to share information about congregations that are searching for clergy and clergy who are looking for new congregations. Diocesan transition ministers present summaries of congregational profiles and pertinent information about potential clergy candidates in search of the best match between talent and need.
 
The conference occurs twice a year, and the next meeting is September 25-28. If you are exploring another call, or are in the early stages of the discernment process, this is a chance for you to test that out.
 
The first step is to fill out the TMC Confidential Information form at transitionministryconference.org . Please also take the time to update your OTM Portfolio, which can be done online. The deadline for submitting your material is Monday, September 18.
 
Knowing that the decision to explore new ministry possibilities is a sensitive one, please rest assured that the names shared at the TMC are kept in strictest confidence; only I will know who has asked to be presented. There is a high trust level between TMC transitions ministers, and we honor the delicate nature of this sort of discernment.

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PARTICIPATING IN GOD'S MISSION


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